[United States Statutes at Large, Volume 133, 116th Congress, 1st Session]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

 
Proclamation 9948 of October 11, 2019

National School Lunch Week, 2019

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

During National School Lunch Week, we recognize the school lunch
programs across our country that nourish our children with nutritious,
American-grown food that they need to learn in the classroom and work
toward bright futures. By ensuring all students have access to well-
balanced meals, we can help our Nation's youth maintain healthy
lifestyles and help them achieve success in the classroom and beyond.
Established in 1946, the National School Lunch Program provides low-cost
or free lunches to more than 29 million children in nearly 100,000
public and residential child-care institutions across our country. Since
its creation, the number of students served by the program has
quadrupled, and school cafeterias now serve nearly 5 billion lunches
annually. This successful Federal, State, and local partnership would
not be possible without the assistance of thousands of food service
professionals, school administrators, community members, and parents. As
a nation, we are grateful for those who go above and beyond to ensure
all children are able to focus on their education and development
instead of worrying about their next lunch.
America's farmers, ranchers, and producers also play a role in ensuring
our children's plates are filled with healthy, domestically sourced
foods. This year, my Administration awarded a record high of more than
$9 million in Farm to School Program grants, increasing access to local
food and strengthening links to agriculture for more than 3.2 million
children in 42 States, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.
Through our efforts to increase the amount of local food in our
country's schools, we are promoting the success of both our farmers and
ranchers and our Nation's children.
To emphasize the importance of the National School Lunch Program to our
youth's nutrition, the Congress, by joint resolution of October 9, 1962
(Public Law 87-780), has designated the week beginning on the second
Sunday in October each year as ``National School Lunch Week'' and has
requested the President to issue a proclamation in observance of this
week.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, DONALD J. TRUMP, President of the United States of
America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and
the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim October 13 through
October 19, 2019, as National School Lunch Week. I call

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upon all Americans to join the countless individuals who administer the
National School Lunch Program in activities that support and promote
awareness of the health and well-being of our Nation's children.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this eleventh day of
October, in the year of our Lord two thousand nineteen, and of the
Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-
fourth.
DONALD J. TRUMP